Winter Bird Feeders

January is a great time to set out winter bird feeders. This time of year the weather and landscape can get so bleak and dreary. One way to get some inspiration and color is through local wildlife and especially birds.

Birdfeeders

I set out two bird feeders this year. I have used this first one for many years and it has weathered the outdoors well.The second feeder is one I built out of cedar this past summer. It was a fun summer project.

There have been an amazing variety of birds gather around the feeders, and they are so much fun to watch!

A special thank you to my friend Heather from Pepperell, Massachusetts for helping me identify birds that I never realized even came this far south (Louisiana). Her knowledge of ornithology is impressive, and I also want to wish her a very Happy Birthday!

Building a Bird Feeder

One of my projects last summer was building a bird feeder using cedar wood scraps.

I used a very basic design using 1 inch by 4 inch pieces for the bottom and sides, and 1 inch by 6 inch pieces for the top.I added 1 inch by 2 inch pieces of cedar to the bottom edge to hold the seed and between the top sides for support. I added two (L) brackets to attach the wire hanger. I drilled two holes above the brackets into the roof apex and ran the hanging wire through the top side of the drilled hole in the roof attaching the wire to the (L) brackets. This allows the roof to lift off easily for filling birdseed and cleaning out the bird house.Lastly I attached two pieces of thin Plexiglas for the front and back. I left about a quarter inch space at the bottom for seeds to fall through.I did not treat the wood because I like the natural patina cedar gets over time. Cedar also holds up well outdoors as it weathers. Bird feeders look great in the flower gardens year round. They supply the birds with much needed supplements during the winter months and are a way to really be inspired by nature up close.

I’m impressed with your carpentry skills! I am surprised that your winter birds aren’t all that different than ours, but I bet you have more cardinals. A southern bird, they have only come this far north in the past 50 years or so. Nice post!

Thank you for sweet comment! My skills are bare minimum but it was a lot of fun! And there have definitely been a lot of cardinals this year. They’ve been so much fun to watch and definitely stand out. 😊